House Energy and Commerce Committee
Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee
American Hydropower
On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security will hold a hearing. The title of the hearing is “American Hydropower: Unleashing Reliable, Renewable, Clean Power Across the U.S.” Witnesses are by invitation only. The hearing will review the following legislation:
• H.R. 4045, the “Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act”
Witnesses:- Terry Turpin, Director of the Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- John Hairston, Administrator, Bonneville Power Administration
- Thomas P. Smith, Chief of Operations and Regulatory Division, Army Corps of Engineers
- Matt Lee-Ashley, Chief of Staff, Council on Environmental Quality
H.R. 4045, the “Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act,” would amend the Federal Power Act to expedite the hydropower licensing process and promote next-generation hydropower projects. The legislation would expedite the non-Federal hydropower licensing process by requiring FERC, and all resource agencies with responsibilities in the licensing process, to establish a schedule and coordinate reviews, subject to interagency dispute resolution by CEQ and penalties for failure to meet scheduled deadlines. The legislation also contains an expedited 2-year licensing process for next-generation hydropower facilities and regulatory exemptions for small hydropower projects unlikely to threaten protected species.